Stating the Obvious, on status anxiety and Brexit.

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+Stating the Obvious
+###################
+
+:date: 2016-06-25T11:43:58
+:category: faith
+:tags: euro, EU, politics, blogcomment, status, anxiety
+
+(originally posted as a comment on the blogpost “`Few quick thoughts on
+Brexit`_” by Chris Arnade)
+
+I am still confused by the book “`Status Anxiety`_” by Alain de Botton.
+Either it is just a stupid banality stating the obvious, or Douglas
+Adams is right and “It is a rare mind indeed that can render the
+hitherto non-existent blindingly obvious.” The book describes how the
+modern rejection of the class-based stratification of society, which
+seemed like a so good idea at the time, lead to meritocracy and status
+anxiety. In the society based on the tradition and class-based status,
+people on the bottom did not have to feel dishonored about their lot in
+the life, because it was just something given to them by God, destiny,
+etc. In the modernist society where the stratification is seemingly
+based only on the merit, and success (mostly measured by the personal
+income), suddenly people in the bottom are pressed to feel that it is
+just their fault, thus the anxiety.
+
+There were times in the history of humankind when the idea of class,
+status, and honor was complete foundation of all thinking. Dan Carlin in
+“`Death Throes of the Republic`_” for example claims that the concern
+for personal status was something which lead to the fall of the Roman
+Republic (to some extent at least). Suddenly we don't talk about these
+things at all, and the only measure of personal status is the current
+income. I don’t think however that not-talking about status, makes the
+anxiety go away.
+
+.. _`Status Anxiety`:
+    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_Anxiety
+
+.. _`Few quick thoughts on Brexit`:
+    https://medium.com/@Chris_arnade/few-quick-thoughts-on-brexit-890b8b2a5ef1
+
+.. _`Death Throes of the Republic`:
+    http://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-death-throes-of-the-republic-series/